This is the third time it has started during this season. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have both previously competed in South American World Cup qualifiers, and the remainder of the Blues’ roster has traveled around the world to represent their respective countries.
Despite the fact that Reece James is training at Cobham, Pochettino has been given a smaller group to work with than he was expecting. On the other hand, Thiago Silva has been allotted a certain amount of time off.
The players that are competing in international competitions will be the focus of the majority of our attention. When the Premier League resumes play, the coaching staff for Chelsea will be thinking about a variety of circumstances, including player injuries, late returns, and other issues. football.london takes a look at the best and worst possible outcomes that could occur over the course of the coming week in football.
To put it another way, Chelsea would be able to give all of their players a rest between the period of time between now and when they play Newcastle. Pochettino has mentioned in the past that Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia are well on their road to reaching full health, and the head coach of the Blues will be able to work closely with them if their current trajectory allows for it.
Since Levi Colwill is no longer with the England squad, there should be sufficient time for the defender to recover from a shoulder injury and be in contention to face Newcastle. Despite the absences, Mauricio Pochettino continues to work with a strong back four, as Reece James, Benoit Badiashile, and Marc Cucurella are all available to train.
Early substitutions could provide some much-needed break for Fernandez and Caicedo, who are set to play until the early hours of Wednesday morning, followed by a long journey back to west London.
A third cap for Djordje Petrovic, on the other hand, would provide the goalkeeper with some playing time, and Ian Maatsen receiving more time on the pitch for the Netherlands Under-21s against Sweden might help him create some momentum after being taken off early against Gibraltar to prepare for that match. Ian Maatsen is expected to play against Sweden.
Both Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk would benefit from goal-scoring performances for their respective national teams, the England Under-21s and the Ukraine. The former player has started just one game for Chelsea in the Premier League so far this season.
The way Cole Palmer has been playing as of late makes it virtually impossible to argue against him earning his full debut. It would be advantageous for the Blues if he continued to build confidence and momentum, and it would be welcome if Nicolas Jackson scored a goal or two for Senegal while he was representing the Blues internationally.
The absolute worst-case scenario
The worst-case scenario for Chelsea would very certainly be the opposite of what was described above, with the Blues suffering a significant loss of players due to absences and tardy returns. Even while Fernandez and Caicedo are obvious causes for concern, it’s possible that Conor Gallagher represents the most significant risk to the Blues.
The problem had already been identified by the time the midfielder arrived at the England training camp, as confirmed by Gareth Southgate. The mindset of the midfielder was praised by Gareth Southgate, the manager of England.
He made the observation that “this week is a classic for me.” The door was knocked on when he returned from the weekend, but as he entered the building, he announced, “It’s a little sore, but I’ll be fine for Friday.” It was impossible for him to return home, and there was no way he wasn’t going to give himself every chance he could. He was unable to train for the first few days, but he was determined to be available, and that, in a nutshell, is one of his strongest strengths, as it allowed him to do everything he could in the game. He was unable to train for the first few days. His way of thinking is quite remarkable.
I really hope that doesn’t turn out to be a mistake.